PKF Littlejohn Advisory, the appointed liquidator for Public Interest Lawyers Limited, is set to begin returning funds to creditors following the guilty plea of disgraced lawyer Phil Shiner.
Stratford Hamilton, a senior partner at PKF Littlejohn with over 20 years of experience in high-profile insolvency cases, confirmed that the team will soon declare a dividend to creditors. This development follows Shiner’s admission of fraudulently securing public funds to pursue legal claims against British soldiers on behalf of Iraqi civilians.
The firm’s Special Investigations team, which specialises in contentious insolvency, was appointed to the case in 2017. However, progress in repaying creditors had been delayed until Shiner’s recent guilty plea allowed them to move forward. The team has recovered more than £2.2 million, and the funds will be distributed to a range of creditors, including several government departments.
“The government is not the only victim of Mr Shiner’s fraudulent activities,” Hamilton said. “We will continue working closely with all creditors to navigate this complex and long-running case.”
Shiner, who led Public Interest Lawyers, admitted to failing to disclose the use of middlemen and payments for client referrals, a breach of his firm’s contracts. He will face sentencing at Southwark Crown Court in December.
